Hey Jeff Flake, What You Just Did Was Really Dumb

Writing a check to Doug Jones is more than just a condemnation of Roy Moore – it’s a commendation of Doug Jones.

Okay, so let’s just acknowledge what anyone with a brain knows: Arizona Senator Jeff Flake decided not to run for re-election in 2018 because he was going to get beat. He saw the polls – one showing him trailing his primary Republican opponent by a staggering 47%-21% margin, he knew the temperament of his electorate, he recognized that conservatives had grown disgusted with his performance, he read the tea leaves, and he decided to get out.

I can’t fault him for not wanting to campaign for what he believed in and getting beat. Some people don’t like to lose.

But I can fault him for the pretense. See, Flake also knew that to save face, he needed to make his exit appear to be something other than surrendering to inevitable defeat. He couldn’t handle being bested, so he tried to “best.” And therefore, bemoaning the state of Trump-era politics, Flake postured as though he were taking the high road and exiting the Senate because he just had too much character to campaign as a Republican in the age of Donald Trump.

Flake may be a conservative sellout since ascending to his Senate seat, but he’s no dummy. He’s about to be unemployed, and landing a lucrative lobbying or analyst job requires some positive media. What better way to get that than to trash the media’s favorite enemy-in-chief?

And if there was ever any debate over whether that was what Arizona’s junior Senator was doing, he just settled it with another publicity stunt. But this one was so conscience-shocking that it almost defies description.

Taking aim at embattled and accused Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, Flake tweeted out a picture of a $100 contribution check made out to Moore’s Senate opponent, Democrat Doug Jones. Flake included the three-word caption:

“Country over party.”

Someone should tell him he misspelled “publicity over principle.”

His donation and accompanying caption reveal a great deal about Jeff Flake, and very little of it is good. Starting with the positive, this certainly demonstrates Flake’s opposition to supporting candidates for public office who have been credibly accused of sexually molesting a 14-year-old and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old. That’s good.

But writing a check to Doug Jones is more than just a condemnation of Moore – it’s a commendation of Doug Jones. And that’s something a principled or reasonable conservative would never do – in any circumstance. Remember besides everything else he is wrong about, here’s Doug Jones on the most important issue there is:

“I'm not in favor of anything that is going to infringe on a woman's right and her freedom to choose [to have her baby legally dismembered in the womb]. That's just the position that I've had for many years. It's a position I continue to have. But I want to make sure people understand, that once a baby is born, I'm going to be there for that child. That's where I become a right-to-lifer.”

To be clear, Jones just stated he believes that a person’s right to life commences when that person is born. That means a baby in the womb is not a person in the fantasy land of Doug Jones. And that’s who Jeff Flake, supposedly a “principled conservative” just financially endorsed to his supporters.

Let’s hasten to add that acknowledging Doug Jones doesn’t belong anywhere close to the U.S. Senate given his opposition to the most fundamental unalienable right established in America’s founding document, does not equate to saying that Roy Moore does belong there.

Just like in the presidential election of 2016, you don’t have to vote for either one.

Let’s assume for a second that every accusation against Moore is accurate (the position Flake obviously takes) and that he is a molester who preyed upon children. If that is the case, here’s what a principled conservative – or even just a decent person – would conclude:

Those who find it morally acceptable to molest children do not belong in the Senate. Those who find it morally acceptable to kill children do not either.

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Comments

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No. 1-11

rle737ng

Dec 13, 2017

I'm sure Flake was auditioning for MSNBC.

DS1

Dec 11, 2017

Flake better hope he gets a lobby job, but if the electorate is turning more Conservative how long will he have that job? Maybe Jeffy boy just needs to get a real job but then those ate not easy to come by since Jeff outsourced them or brought in his non Americans.

Bosman

Dec 6, 2017

"Those who find it morally acceptable to molest children do not belong in the Senate. Those who find it morally acceptable to kill children do not either."

First, When a Baby is aborted in the womb, THERE IS PHYSICAL EVEIDENCE of the sin/crime. No gray areas ... NO ALLEGATIONS.

Second, I don't know any Roy Moore supporters (and I know loads) who believe it's morrally acceptable to molest children. In Moores's case and by the standards of Alabama laws, ONLY ONE allegation against Moore (that of the 14 year-old) would quallify and that allegation took place 40 years ago and is ONLY AN ALLEGATION unless there is some EVIDENCE. Moore is denying the allegation. If he found it morally acceptable, he wouldn't ...AND IF YOU OR ANYONE HAS PROOF Moore is guilty, PRESENT IT!

MOUNTIE

Dec 6, 2017

Peter, first you should get your act together and get some facts. I will start with a question. If you are married did you ever touch your wife inappropriately before you were married? Now for some facts. The age of consent in Alabama is 16 and has been since before these supposed allegations. Therefore he is not a child molester, they were adults by law. The 14 year old has been proven to be lying. Her mother says she never had a phone in her bedroom and the supposed meeting place around the corner where she claims to have met him is over a mile from her mothers house. She also admits that the accusations are unsubstantiated. If you ask any male who was of age during the seventies, who is not gay, if they ever touched a woman inappropriately and he says no, he's a liar.

Molly

Dec 6, 2017

Roy Moore's current behavior has flaws including his back-and-forth about knowing some of the women and then not knowing. I don't believe Moore is handling the accusations well: he's not convincing and he's smug. Does that equal guilty? No, but glorifying Moore because he's a different man 40 years later (and who knows that for sure) is not proof. It sickens me that some people are arguing 'legal' age of consent so that Moore didn't do anything wrong while dating a teen in his 30's. With that said, Flake is wrong and he's a putz. He will get what he deserves - a post-congress job with those that are just as trustworthy as he is.